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Best premium security
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Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including Facebook and YouTube ads
Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
Improves page load times and enables faster browsing
Best for multiple devices
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User-friendly ad blocker that offers broad coverage across browsers and devices without compromising device speed
The free version provides basic extension-only coverage, while the premium plans boast robust app coverage
App plans include parental controls, browsing security, browser assistant, DNS leak protection, and a VPN
Total Adblock is an effective ad and tracker blocker. It also provides premium security protection with TotalAV antivirus protection. It’s a well-rounded ad blocker with some fancy security tools included.
Don't completely discount AdGuard, though. It's a great ad blocker for families or people looking to cover multiple devices. AdGuard also has more effective free plans available.
We’ll compare Total Adblock and AdGuard based on their prices, features, security standards, and more in our review.
Total Adblock is best for people looking for premium security features, including antivirus protection. It also outperformed AdGuard in blocking ads and trackers.
But AdGuard is still a good choice, especially if you want a plan that covers multiple devices and includes parental controls.
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| Best for | Premium security protection | Multiple devices or families |
| Price | From $1.59/mo (billed annually) | From $2.49/mo (billed annually) |
| Ads blocked on Forbes | 12 | 14 |
| Does it block YouTube ads? | ||
| Compatibility | Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Android TV, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Yandex |
| Mobile compatibility | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get AdGuard |
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Our Pick |
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| Price range | Free or $1.59/mo | Free-$5.49/mo |
| Best value plan | 1-year plan for $1.59/mo (billed annually) | Yearly personal plan for $2.49/mo (billed annually) |
| Free version available | ||
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days | Yes — 60 days |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get AdGuard |
On the surface, Total Adblock and AdGuard have similarly priced plans. However, they cover a different number of devices.
Total Adblock only covers one device at a time, so you'll need to purchase multiple subscriptions to cover several devices.
However, Total AdBlock does come with TotalAV antivirus protection, which monitors your device in real-time for cyber threats like malware, ransomware, phishing, and more. Depending on your cybersecurity needs, this could make the overall value more attractive.
Meanwhile, AdGuard's plan covers up to three devices. If you need even more device coverage, AdGuard offers a family plan to cover up to nine devices.
Overall, AdGuard's subscription provides more value. It also has a generous 60-day money-back guarantee, which gives you plenty of time to evaluate its effectiveness.
It's also worth noting that Total Adblock and AdGuard have different approaches to their free plans. Total Adblock's free plan doesn't block ads from the top 15,000 websites, which makes it non-functional for many popular sites.
On the other hand, AdGuard's free plans only work on browser extensions as well as Android and iOS apps. But, the phone apps have limited functionality in blocking ads.
| Feature | |
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| Whitelisting | ||
| Blacklisting | ||
| Ads blocked counter | ||
| Bypasses paywalls | ||
| Block pop-up ads | ||
| Block tracking | ||
| Block video ads | ||
| Block banner ads | ||
| Block push ads | ||
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get AdGuard |
Total Adblock and AdGuard generally have the same features, but there are two notable differences.
First, AdGuard has blacklisting, which includes parental controls. This feature allows you to create a list of websites to block to keep your children safe from websites with explicit content.
Another notable AdGuard feature is that it bypasses soft paywalls. Some websites let you view some free content, but you'll need a subscription to access premium content. Our testing shows that AdGuard bypassed these types of paywalls, as we tested it on local news sites.
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Beyond ad-blocking features, Total Adblock includes TotalAV antivirus protection. It works in real-time to encrypt browsing activity, monitor for data breaches, and protect against viruses. This useful layer of security increases its value, so you may prefer Total Adblock if you’re looking for a security stack.
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Our Pick |
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| Adblock Tester score | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Cover Your Tracks score | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| YouTube ads blocked | ||
| Paywalls blocked | ||
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get AdGuard |
Total Adblock received a stellar 100/100 score for the Adblock Tester. In comparison, AdGuard had a difficult time competing.
During our testing, we got several scores across a variety of browsers and devices. AdGuard's best result was 100/100. It's respectable but not as good as Total Adblock. It struggled with the error monitoring bugsnag tests used to track and measure errors on websites.
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Another difference is that AdGuard managed to bypass soft paywalls during our testing. Total Adblock failed to unblock paywalls, so this is something to consider if accessing paywalled content is important to you.
Both Total Adblock and AdGuard received the same test results for Cover Your Tracks. They struggled to hide our browser's unique digital fingerprint, meaning websites could tell who we were when we visited. However, this is a common score among the ad blockers we tested, and they both blocked tracking ads and invisible trackers.
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Both ad blockers also successfully blocked YouTube ads during our testing, so you can stream videos without ad interruptions.
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Browser extensions | Yes — Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari | Yes — Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, Opera, Yandex |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Live chat, phone, email, online guides | Email, knowledge base, FAQ, community forum |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get AdGuard |
Overall, AdGuard provides more device and browser compatibility compared to Total Adblock. All major browsers have an AdGuard extension, so most people can use it without switching browsers.
As far as customer support, AdGuard provides detailed online guides, a support email address, and community forums to get answers to your questions. One downside is that it doesn't have 24/7 customer support or a live chat.
Total Adblock has the advantage of customer support. It provides 24/7 support via live chat, though it took us a Google search to find it. Total Adblock’s main support page only leads to its online guides for technical support, account support, and billing support.
The best ad blocker will successfully block all ads and trackers. Total Adblock flawlessly blocked ads during our testing and successfully blocked tracking ads and invisible trackers.
You may also appreciate that TotalAV antivirus protection is included in your plan. This can help create a comprehensive security plan.
AdGuard is a capable ad blocker, but it may not fit your needs if you want additional products like a VPN or antivirus. Consider other ad blockers like Total Adblock, NordVPN Threat Protection, and Surfshark CleanWeb.
One notable disadvantage of Total Adblock is that one subscription only covers one device. If you want to use Total Adblock on multiple devices, you must purchase multiple subscriptions.
Another noticeable drawback of Total Adblock is that the free version doesn't block ads from the top 15,000 websites.
AdGuard was founded in Russia but has since moved its headquarters to Cyprus, which is under EU law.
Overall, Total Adblock performs better as an ad blocker since it passed our ad and tracker testing with minimal flaws. While it's not as usable as AdGuard in terms of browser compatibility and device coverage, it's a better blocker. Combined with TotalAV antivirus protection, Total Adblock is a useful security tool.
However, you may prefer AdGuard if you’re looking for parental controls, a free ad blocker, or need more device coverage.
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Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including Facebook and YouTube ads
Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
Improves page load times and enables faster browsing
Total Adblock and AdGuard have their benefits and drawbacks, so it’s possible that neither is the perfect fit for you. However, a few other ad blockers are worthy of your consideration.
Here is a brief overview of some of the best ad blockers:
|
 Threat Protection |
 CleanWeb |
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| Best for | Best for blocking YouTube ads | Best overall | Best for blocking streaming ads |
| Price | Starts at $1.59/mo (billed annually) | Starts at $2.99/mo (billed every two years) | Starts at $1.99/mo (billed every two years) |
| Free version? | |||
| Adblock Tester score | 100/100 | 91/100 | 98/100 |
| Cover Your Tracks score | 2/3 | 2/3 | 0.5/3 |
| Can You Block It score | 3/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 |
| Blocks YouTube ads? | |||
| Compatibility | Windows, Mac, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Amazon Fire, Safari, Android, iOS | Threat Protection Pro: Windows, macOS
Threat Protection: |
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, FireTV |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get NordVPN Threat Protection | Get Surfshark CleanWeb |
Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including Facebook and YouTube ads
Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
Improves page load times and enables faster browsing
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